Kaladan News

Dated: March 05, 2005

Who Leads Chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2006?

Chittagong, March 05: Most of the ASEAN countries are discussing which country will lead the Chairmanship of the ASEAN countries in 2006.

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Burma must relinquish the Chairmanship of the ASEAN as the people of the country are having a tough time because of the SPDC doesn’t need to establish democracy in the country, said AFK Jilani, the organizing secretary of Northern Arakan of National League for Democracy.

Burma is due to take over ASEAN’s rotating Chairmanship by mid next year.

The next year will see the ASEAN meeting in Burma. Should not the Association of the South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states persuade Burma to play a more active role befitting in ASEAN member States?, he further added.

Naturally, restoration of democracy and allowing rule of law and social justice in Burma is something that can come about only after association with ASEAN enables Burma’s economy to reach a prosperous stage--- a stage where democracy can no more be held back similar to what happened in Greece and the East European Communist States, he said.

On the 17^th of February, the first step of the then Prime Minister, General Khin Nyunt’s masterpiece road map for democracy called “National Convention” was reconvened despite scores of critical rhetoric from different quarters.

The ruling military junta desires a national convention where the military leaders, the National Leaque for Democracy and ethnic groups cordially negotiate for the future of the Union of Burma.

On the other hand, in coincidence with the government efforts its administration, Burma’s Prime Minister General Soe Win and Foreign Minister Nyan Win, began touring neighboring countries such as Philippines on 21^st February and Bangladesh on 24^th to 25^th of February 2005 respectively by seeking their co-operation.

On 2^nd March, Politicians from 6 of 10 ASEAN member-countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippine and Laos in a meeting held at Parliament House in Bangkok said they opposed Burma as the next Chair of the 10-strong grouping because of its undemocratic government.

“If Burma takes over the position, it would definitely have an impact on ASEAN’s position in world politics and its negotiating power with the WTO and the EU as Burma was not a democratic nation and it had created problems for several ASEAN member countries by forcing a great number of its citizens into exile and displacing people from their home” said the Thai senator Kraisak Choonhawan in the meeting held at Parliament House in Bankok on 2^nd February 2005.

On 3^rd February 2005, Sen. Miriam Santiago, Chairman of the USA Senate Committee on foreign relations urged the Senate to pass a resolution asking Burma to give up the Chairmanship of the ASEAN in 2006 until Burma’s ruling junta frees detained opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and allows her political party to participate in the political process in Rangoon. ##

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